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APWA International Affairs Committee and the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College Announce 2014 Jennings Randolph International Fellows

The American Public Works Association (APWA) International Affairs Committee and The Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College (EI) are pleased to announce the Jennings Randolph International Fellows for 2014. Chosen from a qualified field of 17 applicants, the two APWA members will conduct topical public works study tours and make presentations at APWA partner associations’ annual membership meetings in Mexico and New Zealand. With great pleasure, APWA and EI announce the following Jennings Randolph International Fellows for 2014:

Travis Greiman, P.E., Engineering Manager for the City of Centennial, Colorado and recipient of the 2014 Jennings Randolph International Fellowship, will use the award to attend the ICLEI National Congress in September, 2014 in Acapulco, Mexico. He will also conduct a study tour to focus on project implementation strategies used in Mexico. Specifically, the study will highlight four techniques; right-of-way acquisition, public outreach, interagency coordination and winning political favor to examine how they are employed in Mexico. The goal of his study is to provide insight on how Mexican project managers interact with citizens, other agencies, and politicians to offer a contrast with how project managers operate with similar groups in the United States.

Greiman began his professional career working in the private sector with Merrick & Company as a member of a district engineer’s team, as well as a member of the team that conducted what was understood to be the largest public-to-private conversion of public works services in the United States. After his initial career work, he left private industry to take a volunteer engineer position in Uganda where he spent nearly a year designing small-scale water projects and assisting in the creation and implementation of water development programs in the East Africa region. In his current role as Centennial’s City Engineering Manager, Greiman manages capital programs and projects. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado - Boulder. His other professional memberships include Engineers Without Borders – Denver Professional Chapter and the American Society of Civil Engineers – CO Chapter.

Upon his return to the United States, Greiman will share his observations and experiences through presentations to local and regional organizations involved in project implementation techniques.

Amanda Millirons, MPA, Assistant Public Works Director for the City of Palm Bay, Florida recipient of the 2014 Jennings Randolph International Fellowship. Millirons will attend and present at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) International Public Works Conference in Auckland, New Zealand. In her presentation, she will discuss the role of the American public works professionals as first responders. In addition, she will have the opportunity to study with other agencies in New Zealand to compare the roles of public works professionals as first responders with those of the United States. She is seeking to learn firsthand the response efforts and public outreach programs regarding emergency management best practices, and specifically the emergency response and recovery after the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes.

Millirons notes that public works professionals are on call to respond to emergency events twenty four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days a year. The Department of Homeland Security, Emergency Services Sector recognizes public works as a sector discipline. Her goal as presenter at the IPWEA conference is to teach the role of public works professionals as first responders in the United States, including local emergency management framework and evaluation and implementation of best practices.

Ms. Millirons graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2008 and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in 2010. She began her career with Palm Bay working as a Management Analyst in the Office of the City Manager in 2009. During this time, she worked on budget development and on special projects as assigned. In 2010, she joined the Palm Bay Public Works team, where she worked as an administrative assistant responsible for financial project management, procurement, organized community events and other special projects. She was promoted to Division Manager in 2011, where she managed a team of administrative positions and field personnel, and was promoted to Assistant Director in 2013. In this position, she oversees multiple divisions and areas including Administrative Services, Customer Service and Engineering Inspection, Fleet Services, Solid Waste contract administration and the department’s emergency management functions. Ms. Millirons is an active member of APWA and a graduate of the Emerging Leaders Academy (Class IV). She also participates in the young professional network and serves in various leadership roles throughout APWA.

On her return to the City of Palm Bay, she will use her findings to strengthen the emergency management framework in her community, in part by redeveloping the community outreach program. In addition to implementing improvements to her community, she will strive to promote and share best practices with other public works professionals. She also plans to present at the 2014 APWA International Public Works Congress & Exposition in Toronto, Canada.